Released: February 22, 2005

Variety of Issues to be Addressed at K-State’s Cattlemen’s Day

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Reflecting on the past and looking toward the future will be a part of the 92nd Annual Cattlemen’s Day, March 4, at Kansas State University. Several presentations are scheduled that deal with a variety of issues.

The cost is $15 in advance or $25 at the door. Registration begins at 8 a.m. in Weber Hall. The commercial trade show and educational exhibits will be in a tent on the Weber lawn. Lunch will be served at noon, compliments of participating commercial exhibitors and U.S. Premium Beef. Speakers will cover a variety of topics concerning the cattle industry from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The morning program will begin in Weber Arena with a welcome from Janice Swanson, interim head of the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry. A research update and a look to the future of the department will also take place.

The afternoon sessions will cover topics concerning cattle production and beef products. The presentations will be in two time slots – from 2-2:50 p.m. and another from 3-3:50 p.m.

The first focus sessions will cover:

* Reflections of a Century of Service - Animal science professor Miles McKee will give a historical perspective featuring photographic memories of people, programs and events that have shaped the department’s last 100 years of continuous service to the livestock industry.

* Rebuilding the U.S. Beef Herd and the Implications of a Global Marketplace - Agricultural economists Ted Schroeder and Jim Mintert will discuss a variety of domestic and international issues.

* Recommended Synchronization Systems and the Synchronization Planner - Northwest area Extension specialist Sandy Johnson will discuss recommended synchronization protocols and appropriate situations for their use. The presentation will include an overview of the planner, which is a software tool designed to help beef producers in designing and executing synchronization programs.

* KSU Livestock Waste Management Rainfall Simulator - The unveiling of a novel environmental teaching tool used to demonstrate the impact of runoff from livestock feeding sites, presented by Extension specialists Joe Harner and Joel DeRouchey.

The second set of presentations will cover:

* Animal Identification and the National Premise Identification System - Kansas Livestock Commissioner George Teagarden will give an update on the national animal identification system (NAIS).

* Uncovering the Hidden Costs Associated with Production of Natural Beef - In this hands-on demonstration, K-State meats scientist, John Unruh will use carcasses from naturally- and conventionally- fed cattle to reveal key differences in production costs and carcass value.

* An Evidence-Based Approach to Beef Production and Health - Dan Thomson, assistant professor of beef production medicine, will focus on the relationships between production management and medicine and their effects on the health of freshly weaned calves and new feedlot arrivals.

For more information about the event and registration material, interested persons can contact Lois Schreiner in the K-State Department of Animal Sciences and Industry at 785-532-1267 or visit the Cattlemen’s Day Web site at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/pr_cattleday.

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by:
Crystal Rahe
cer5665@ksu.edu
K-State Research& Extension News